


A Quiet Ferocity

by obstreperous



Category: Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: Anxiety, Depression, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, Explicit Language, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Heartbreak, Idiots in Love, Implied Sexual Content, Implied/Referenced Cheating, Love Triangles, Minor Injuries, Minor Violence, Musical References, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Romance, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-28
Updated: 2018-07-28
Packaged: 2019-06-17 03:37:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 954
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15452541
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/obstreperous/pseuds/obstreperous
Summary: Alba Templeton swore she would give up music when she ran away to Stardew Valley, heartbroken and alone, but it's a hard oath to keep when her new friends make it their goal for her to become the bassist for their band.She didn't plan to stay in town long, but she's a little intrigued by their music and more than a little interested in a certain dark-haired synth player.Maybe she'll stay. Just for a while.





	A Quiet Ferocity

_I'll be over this soon / But some images adhere like superglue_

* * *

 Alba Templeton finally knew what it meant to be heartbroken.

It was the last thing she’d expected to happen, of course. Today had been just like any other day. She woke up, untangled herself from her still-sleeping boyfriend, got dressed, and caught the subway to her mind-numbingly dull data entry job at Joja.

She hated it, but she knew it was a means to an end. She just had to hold out until their band finally  _made it,_ and then she could quit and just focus on the music. 

She walked up the stairs to her apartment after making the slow trek home. Chris should have been home by now, but strangely, the door was locked. She furrowed her eyebrows, hearing an odd thumping noise behind the door. Was he experimenting with a new guitar pedal?

She turned the doorknob slowly, a smile on her lips. It was nice to come home to someone who loved her at the end of a long day at work, and she was excited to tell him about the annoying antics of her manager. 

“Chris, are you home? I…”

She opened the door and dropped her handbag in shock.

She really wasn't expecting to walk in on her boyfriend fucking her best friend in the kitchen.

* * *

Alba clicked the clasps shut on her bass case, and sat it up against the wall while she haphazardly began throwing her clothes in a bag.

She’d already been through the bathroom while her so-called best friend Sarah fled the apartment.

Chris leaned against the doorway, running a hand through his light brown hair in frustration. "C'mon babe, can we at least talk about this?"

"What is there to talk about?" she seethed, rummaging through her draws. "I came home to you leaning over the kitchen table, fucking Sarah! Not only my best friend, but our drummer! I don't know what you think you could possibly say to make this alright."

"We've been together for so long-"

Alba scoffed. "What, a year? You still felt the urge to cheat on me, again."

"I thought you were over that!"

"Are you serious? Get fucked, Chris.”

She zipped up her bag and flung it over her shoulder, then grabbed her bass from its spot against the wall. She marched toward the door.

"Wait! What about our gig on Wednesday?" Chris shouted, "You can't just leave!"

She gripped the door handle with shaking hands. This band was supposed to be her life, her future. She felt a tight pain in her chest, suffocating her, but she pushed it down.

"I think you'd better find yourself a new bassist."

* * *

Alba sat down at the bus station, burying her face in her hands. 

She had nowhere to go. She moved to Zuzu City with Sarah two years ago and moved into Chris' apartment just months ago. They were the only two people she thought she needed in the city, but it hurt to realise they obviously needed each other more than they needed her. 

Within an afternoon, it felt like her whole life had fallen apart. There went her band, her future career, and the two strongest relationships she had left.

She looked over to her bass case, anger and frustration burning through her veins. Alba, Chris, and Sarah had just started making a name for themselves in the city. After this, it made her wonder if it was even worth it to keep pursuing her dream.

It was a struggle to hold back the tears. 

She took a moment, clenching her fists and breathing in through her nose, and tried to think of a plan. She grabbed her handbag and slipped her hand in, trying to find her phone. Instead, she pulled out what looked to be an old envelope.

"Grandpa's letter," she breathed. "I forgot about this."

She carefully tore around the seal and slid the letter out of the envelope.  

 

> _Dear Alba,_
> 
> _If you’re reading this, you must be in dire need of a change._
> 
> _The same thing happened to me, long ago. I’d lost sight of what mattered most in life … real connections with other people and nature. So I dropped everything and moved to the place I truly belong_
> 
> _I’ve enclosed the deed to that place … my pride and joy: Northwind Farm. It’s located in Stardew Valley, on the southern coast. It’s the perfect place to start a new life._
> 
> _This was my most precious gift of all, and now it’s yours. I know you’ll honour the family name, my girl._
> 
> _Love, Grandpa._
> 
> _P.S If Lewis is still alive say hi to the old guy for me, will ya?_

The tears started falling as she read the last line. As crazy as it was, it felt almost as though her grandpa was sending her a message from beyond the grave, telling her that maybe this was where she was meant to be. 

She was no farmer, and she'd never lived in a small town, but maybe real connections with other people and nature were exactly what she needed. Anyway, it's not like she had anywhere else to go, and it's not like she was going to stay there forever. What did she have to lose?

Before she could lose her nerve, she stood up and made her way to the bus that would take her to the valley.

She remembered hazy happy summers spent with her grandpa, playing on the farm and swimming at the beach. She wondered how much the town had changed since then. 

An old bus pulled up, the doors opening with a slow creak.

She stood up. It looked like she was about to find out.

**Author's Note:**

> If you've made it this far, thanks for reading! After this, chapters will be longer - I promise. Please comment and let me know what you think, or any suggestions you have! x


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